An Old Earth Ritual
by LoveChilde
Summary: John, Delenn, a private, peaceful moment and an old Earth ritual.


(Disclaimer: As ever, none of it is mine. They all belong to JMS, TNT and other initials 8-) I'm just using them for a few minutes. Joannie requested John/Delenn fluff, et viola. Set anywhere in season 4- after the end of the Shadow War, obviously. Bit of trivia- my first fic to feature the conventional use of a hairbrush…Enjoy.)

An Old Earth Ritual

"John, what are you doing" The Minbari ambassador to Babylon 5 asked her soon-to-be husband as he moved behind her in the room. They hadn't shared a room for very long, and some of the things he did before bed and right after waking still surprised her. She'd been fascinated with the strange human ritual of shaving, which Minbari of either sex, for obvious reasons, never needed. She was sitting in front of her dressing table, just about to brush her hair, when John came and pulled up a chair behind her.

"Watching you." He said softly. He was still amazed, several times a day, that he was sharing his life with Delenn, that she'd wanted him and accepted him. She was truly magnificent, even at the end of a long day, with fatigue in her eyes and in her dressing gown. He leaned forward and took a deep breath of her scented hair. "You're beautiful. Have I told you that today"

"You know, I don't believe you have." Her playful tone was tantalizing as ever, and he reached forward and pulled one of her hands back, kissing her fingertips one by one and gently tugging the hairbrush out of her hand.

"Terribly forgetful of me. You're beautiful." He pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck, making her shiver. "And I love you. And I don't know how I'd live without you."

Delenn's delighted laugh made his heart want to float right out of his chest as she leaned back into his embrace. "I love you too, John, very much. Now, what, exactly, are you doing" Whatever strange new thing he came up with, as long as it didn't involve any outlandish outfits or jewelry again, she was willing to try it.

"An old human ritual" John explained, shifting his grip on the hairbrush and pulled a strand of hair away from the flowing mane. "I've been wanting to do this…about since the first time I laid eyes on you, Delenn." He kissed her again, softly. "It's called 'brushing your lover's hair at night'." He ran the brush through her hair slowly, smoothing his way through tangles. Delenn shuddered against him, letting him work in a contented silence. If Minbari were capable of it, she would've been purring.

"This…is very, very nice, John. Nothing like the time I asked Commander Ivanova for help in this area." She said languidly, tilting her head for a better angle. The human hands, so feared by some Minbari, so sure on a weapons' system or at a ship's navigation controls, so much stronger than hers appeared to be, were as delicate as butterflies in her hair. Ever so gently, he worked his way all around her head, pulling the brush down again and again, reveling in the feel of her hair running through his hands unhindered. They weren't the commander of the station and the ambassador now, at the end of the day. They were simply two people, very much in love, talking comfort in each other's presence and affection.

"I'm glad you like it." He put the brush down after a long, happy time, and leaned his forehead against the back of her head, breathing in her scent again. "Because I intend to do it every night, if we have the time."

"I wish I could return the favor." He turned around in her seat to face him and claimed his lips in a slow, sensual kiss. She ran her fingers through his short hair, and smiled warmly. "I could try"

"No need." He drew her up by one hand, and let her to their bed like a queen to the throne. "I enjoyed it. I…" The love in his eyes, in his voice, would have amazed those who only knew him as Captain Sheridan, but wouldn't have surprised anyone who knew him as a person. Certainly it didn't surprise Delenn, but her heart skipped a beat all the same. "I intended to make you as happy as I possibly can, and when you're happy, so am I."

"That is all I need." Her eyes reflected the emotion in his, and she sat down on the bed and opened the sash on her dressing robe, pulling him down with her. "In any case, I believe I can find some way to return the favor. There is a lovely ritual of gratitude we could" He stopped her with a kiss.

"Why don't we stick to what we know, honey? There will be plenty of time for rituals later." John's hand reached for her robe, reminding her that there were several 'rituals' they'd already perfected. Another trill of laughter was all the response he got as she turned off the lights and reached out to him, her hair spreading in a fan on the pillow.


End file.
